Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
by toolestrange
Summary: Regina gets a call that makes her heart sink and she blames herself for losing her lover.


**A/N: The title comes from a song by Stars, and the lyrics within the story are from Hello Love Goodbye by To Be Juliet's Secret. Post-curse, but Henry doesn't exist in this mildly AU story. Enjoy!**

"Emma, please!" Regina begged with the woman.

"Regina this can't work and you know it." Emma felt like she was crushing her heart but she couldn't let up. "I care about you Regina, alright but it can't go on."

_You turned and walked away_

_And said it's supposed to be this way_

"What?" the blonde asked.

"I said." Regina turned to face the woman. "I said I guess it's supposed to be this way." Regina's voice grew cold, and the walls that Emma had managed to break down were coming back full force, and her eyes were void of any emotion "You're the savior, I'm the evil queen. I don't get a happy ending. Goodbye Miss Swan."

Regina managed to turn the tables to have the final word so she felt like she was still in control, although as she pushed Emma towards the door and closed it in her face, she let a silent tear roll down her cheek as she mourned what could have been.

* * *

A week later, Regina had returned to some semblance of normalcy, although her heart broke when she saw Emma that day.

_I saw you crying in the street_

_Don't do this now love, please._

And that was the problem. No matter how much Regina shoved her feelings down, ignoring the constant ache in her chest, she still loved Emma. To the outside world, Regina was fine, her mayoral smile always in place as she went about her day, getting groceries and making small talk with people in the diner. But inside she was a mess, her spirit was crushed as the woman she loved had left her.

_My pen could only write your name_

_You were filling every page, so fast._

_Then we fell and died away, _

_It's not supposed to be this way_

_I'm so far from okay…_

She wrote her name over and over again in a lined notebook, tears staining the pages.

Regina was drowning her sorrows in her third glass of cider when her phone rang.

"Hello?" The brunette answered hesitantly. It was well past 11pm, and calls at this hour were never good.

"Ms. Mills?" Dr. Whale asked hesitantly. "I have some bad news."

Regina's heart clenched in her chest as she prepared for the worst; no matter what scenario she imagined, she wasn't prepared for what came out of the doctor's mouth next.

"Your ex-lover is dead."

Regina gasped as she stepped back. "Surely there must be some mistake." Her voice shook and tears wet her eyes. "I saw her today!"

"I wish there was a mistake Ms. Mills."

"But…" Regina's voice cracked. "Of what?"

"Stress cardiomyopathy"

"I'm sorry?"

The doctor sighed, not wanting to put more stress on the former mayor. "In lamest terms, she died of a broken heart."

"But-but we broke up last week, why now?"

"Sometimes it takes a while for the grief to hit and weaken the cardiac muscles Ms. Mills." The doctor explained stoically.

Regina opened her mouth to say something but a pained squeak came out instead. Instead of trying to speak again she slammed down the phone and raced to her car, tears blurring her vision. Speeding down the empty streets of Storybrooke Regina made it to the hospital in five minutes, running frantically into the building without locking her car door.

"Fifth floor Ms. Mills, room 507." The nurse knew where she was running before she had to ask. Regina took the stairs two at a time, having no patience for the elevator. Bursting into the room, Regina's eyes fell to the pale lifeless blonde on the bed. Rushing to the side of Emma's bed she collapsed beside her.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Regina cried, running her hand through Emma's soft blonde hair, stroking it gently. "Please come back to me. Please?" Regina sniffled. "What am I gonna do?" Regina sounded like a small child. She leaned down and kissed Emma feverishly, hoping just like the curse, true love would win. Alas the blonde didn't stir, and her cheeks caught Regina's tears that were now flowing freely.

"Ms. Mills, we're going to have to ask you to move." Dr. Whale requested gently.

Regina spun around. "No! I won't leave her!" She turned back to her ex-lover. "I'm so sorry baby. It's all my fault." Regina's breath was shaky and sporadic. "I did this to you." She lay down beside Emma, and for a moment she could pretend Emma was sleeping peacefully.

"Ms. Mills" the doctor started again.

"I killed her okay?!" Regina shrieked, sitting up. "I loved her! She was my best friend and I killed her because I didn't think we could be happy and now she's dead!" Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as a nurse picked her up and held the sobbing woman. The nurse rocked her until her sobs quieted to sniffles, and rubbed her back gently.

The nameless nurse drove Regina back to her mansion and walked her up to the door. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone." Regina pushed her way through the door and gave the nurse a curt nod. "Goodnight."

Her back hit the door as she collapsed to the round sobbing again and raking her hands through her hair. "Why? Why? Why!" she cried, shaking her head. "If only I had been better."

* * *

From the other side, Emma sat beside Regina, running her hand across her cheek, tracing the path of her tears, powerless to make her stop. Her now dead heart still ached for the brunette. "Regina, you were perfect." Emma kissed the woman, knowing she couldn't feel anything until she disappeared from the room.

Regina got up and made her way to her study, opening the book of Emma's name.

_I guess our story is ending here._


End file.
